Agenda item

At its meeting on 2 November 2007, this committee resolved to remove the current numeric restriction on the number of hackney carriage vehicle licences issued by the Council and to issue a number of new licences each year until market demand limits the number of licences issued. This report seeks members’ approval of a methodology which will produce managed growth from the present position to a market regulated situation.  It relates only to motorised hackney carriages.

Members considered a report that asked them to consider the implementation of a Controlled Growth Policy for Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licences. At a meeting on 2 November 2007 the Licensing and Regulatory Committee had resolved to remove the numeric restriction on the number of hackney carriage vehicle licences issued by the Council and to issue a number of new licences each year until market demand limits the number of licences issued.

The report before the Committee today sought approval for the methodology which will produce managed growth from the present position to a market regulated situation, It relates only to motorised hackney carriages.

The Head of Licensing updated that the recommendations laid out in the report had now been clarified with some additional wording. This was set out in the resolution below.

Written representations had also been received from the Vice Chair of York Taxi Association and these were circulated at the meeting. In summary the following points were raised within this documentation:

·        In ranks such as the station, passenger waiting time will never reduce, due to the loading restrictions imposed locally and is independent of the number of vehicles available.

·        York has a higher than average provision of Hackney Carriages per population than other Licensing Authorities.

·        The proportion of passengers travelling in hours where the delay exceeds one minute is only 9.3% compared to 21% in other Local Authorities.

·        The proportion of passengers travelling in hours where some delay occurs is 31% which is lower than the average 37% for districts analysed.

·        The survey is flawed in a number of areas including information in relation to the Clifford Street rank, the railway station rank and the St Saviourgate rank.

Members received a short presentation from a representative of Halcrow regarding the methodology of the Unmet Demand Survey. The representative said that the figures relating to Clifford Street taxi rank had been over factored and these would be adjusted in the final report. These adjustments would not effect the overall outcome of the report. They also confirmed that factors such as the traffic management system at the railway station had been taken into account.

Members asked for clarification in relation to the number of taxis at the railway station and a representative of Station Taxis responded that at the moment the limit had been reached but they would be open to discussions. He also clarified that wheelchair accessible vehicles could be booked through Station Taxis.

Members asked questions in relation to the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles in the City at the moment and were told that there were twenty, six of which were from Station Taxis. Questions were also asked in relation to the number of private hire vehicles and driver shifts in the City and it was noted that private hire vehicles were the most dominant.

Members were presented with the following options in relation to the policy for release of new licences:

Option 1            Apply the policy as set out in paragraph 14 of the report.

Option 2        Apply some other policy for the release of new vehicle licences.

Option 3            Take no further action and grant no new vehicle licences.

Option 4            Delimit completely.

In relation to the methodology to determine recipients of new vehicle licences Members were presented with the following options:

Option 5        Utilise the waiting list in the manner set out in paragraphs 16 to 25 of the report.

Option 6        Utilise the waiting list but apply alternative criteria.

Option 7        Do not use the waiting list as a means to release new vehicle licences but apply some other selection method such as a random selection (lucky dip).

RESOLVED:¹

·        That option 1 be approved with regard to the release of new hackney carriage licences and a limit be set on the number of hackney carriage vehicle licences issued at 173 from 1^st July 2008 (excluding 4 horse drawn vehicle licences) and increase this number by 2 licences on 1^st July 2009 and thereafter by a further 2 licences at 6 monthly intervals and undertake further surveys every three years.

·        That Option 5 be approved with regard to the allocation of new hackney carriage vehicle licences and apply the waiting list for the issue of the first tranche of licences as at 21^st May 2008.

REASON:                  The proposed policy achieves a managed approach to meeting Members’ stated objectives which is deemed to be fair and reasonable. As the waiting list has been in existence for 11 years and has general approval by the trade the additional operational criteria are also considered to be reasonable in meeting Members’ stated objectives.